Wednesday, February 25, 2009

What is custom photography?

I found this article written by Marianne Drenthe on the internet. It was located in the Professional Child Photographer Consumer Guide and thought I'd share it with my awesome clients as well as those looking for a photographer in the coming future...

"The photographic art you choose to place on your wall is ultimately the result of the vision of the photographer. This vision, coupled with what you wear to your session, the environment, the lighting, even the mood the subjects are in at the time of photographing creates the work that you will want to proudly display on your walls forevermore.Your first step in the process is more about determining who you are, who your family is and then seeking a photographer that reflects your style. For instance let’s say your family is extremely outdoorsy and loves playing on the beach. You start determining what style you like, browse through photography website portfolios and determine if any of the styles exhibited there would be a good fit with your life and family style. You have already determined that you should probably seek out a beach type photographer (that is if you live near a beach) and then begin narrowing the field down a bit.Finally after a bit of internet research, you have narrowed it down to two photographers who do what seems like solid work, the sort of outdoor beach look you desire. It is now time to ask yourself: Do you like photographer A’s style over photographer B’s style? Is it because the people in the images of A’s style are having a great time and it seems very caught up in the moment vs. B photographer more posed, looking in the camera images? If this is a case, you probably like *lifestyle* photography or perhaps even take it a step further and define your desired style as a *photojournalistic* photography style. The photographer you probably should choose is photographer A because their style is very similar to the style you desire.What custom photography ultimately is all about is choice and experience (as in THE experience). Custom photography is about finding someone who will photograph your family, give you devoted [one on one] attention without worry of the next ‘in line’ or the feeling of a crowded portrait studio. A custom photographer will typically show you a fairly extensive gallery culled to only show the good images that meet the photographers’ creative sensibilities. Often the images are fully edited images-color corrected with blemishes and undereye circles removed. Custom photographers are also known as boutique studios, offering a range of products and unparalleled service. Think Lexus vs. Hyundai, think Nordstrom vs. WalMart. Custom photography should have you, the client and your experience in mind."Sorry I've been so slack in blogging lately. I've been working on tax information as well as completing & designing wedding albums so I'm staying very busy! I will have information within the next week regarding upcoming Easter Sessions! If you'd like to go ahead and get on the mailing list for Easter Session information just shoot me an email! Here are a few shots from last years' sessions:

Stay tuned for another upcoming article to be posted later this week: "Why does Custom Photography cost more?"